Source of a Great Heart
by Janika
Summary: While Daxter wonders what use he is, Tess starts to explore some mysteries and the others follow, but her investigation leads them to a place where some might say everything started… JxK
1. Something Interesting

**There's very little I can say about this particular piece of work except that it occurs a few months after the end of Jak 3. Oh, and also I will have no OCs for this fic. For those of you who have read my other works, please don't have a heart attack at the news. It's hard on me too.  
**

Chapter 1: Something Interesting -- How Else Did You Expect It to Start?

"When you said you wanted the two of us to go to a secluded place, this wasn't exactly what I had in mind," Daxter muttered crossly.

He stood atop a fallen metal beam in the midst of a collapsed building. What remained of the roof was held up at an odd angle by debris that had somehow managed to pile up just enough to allow passage for anyone small enough to slip through the entrance. Even so, they still had to scramble along on their bellies in some areas.

Below him, the female ottsel used her tiny paws to clear a space to make her way into a buried room.

"Tess, this is the old KG fortress. It's abandoned. There's nothin' here!"

"C'mon, Daxter! Just think of it as an adventure without the monsters," she coaxed.

"Yeah, but usually Jak does all the heavy lifting. Why am I hauling this thing around again?" he wondered, looking down at the bronze sphere about half his size.

It wasn't really that heavy, but he had to complain about something Jak would have done if he'd been there with them. He tossed it into the air experimentally. Tess' back was to him and she had no idea what he was doing as she pulled another split brick from the hole.

"Be sure not to drop it. We're gonna need that Power Cell once we find the computers."

"_If_ there's any to be found in this junk heap!" He now appeared to be playing volleyball with the Power Cell, but paused to look around with a shudder. "Let's hurry up. Even destroyed this place gives me the creeps."

His fur was standing on end and he kept expecting some ghost to rise from the rubble and accost him. Or whatever ghosts did. Then again, the surrounding sense of danger made his little muffin-face so much more attractive…

Tess gave a triumphant cry and her orange tail disappeared into the dark hole. Her voice drifted back out, "Here it is! I knew they would have reinforced this area. Daxter, come quick!"

The other ottsel scurried into the hidden room, but he had to strain in order to get the Power Cell through. Immediately on the other side was a sharp drop a little over three feet straight down. Not far for him since he commonly leaped four feet to sit on Jak's shoulder, but Tess still walked more like a regular person and hadn't quite learned how to use her springy legs to jump high, so most likely she would have some trouble getting back out.

The room was filled with computers, all their screens dark, but Tess was excitedly hopping around one in particular.

"We can use this one! It has the core-cable attached and should contain all the files on the baron's experiments."

"Already? Wow, toots! I had no idea it would be this easy. Here's the Power Cell. What now?"

"Just let me put this in its slot…"

She opened the Precurian artifact and four small pieces of it floated in midair around the glowing center. It locked into the computer's open panel and began to supply power to the machine.

She cheerfully clapped her hands as the screen lit up, appearing to have suffered no damage. Daxter tried to keep up as Tess flipped through different programs and files, but after thirty seconds he was thoroughly lost. He shook his head and walked a few feet away.

"I don't get why you're so curious about what happened here all of a sudden."

She glanced back at him for a moment, her blond hair appearing blue in the light from the computer monitor. "It just doesn't add up. Where did the baron get—oh! I think I found something!"

He ran forward and for a second did nothing but squint confusedly at the photos there, screwing his face up into an expression of disgust. "What the heck are those? Did a bunch of squiggly lines eat each other and then throw up?"

They were dark tiles with a light shining on them from an odd angle so that the shapes of the engravings appeared shadowed and less than clear. It was probably that ambiguous quality that made him want to get a mop and bucket.

"It's a Precurian alphabet. The translation should be here somewhere. Do you want me to read it to you when I find it, snoogums?" she asked playfully.

"I'll take a summary, thanks," he called, completely neutral on the subject.

Daxter meandered over to the corner where part of the roof had collapsed. Tess continued to tap on the keyboard, occasionally letting out a yip of excitement as some new information appeared on the screen. It wasn't as if he didn't care. He just…wasn't much good at gathering info, and it wasn't all that interesting when he didn't understand anyway.

He stood beside a pile of rubble and saw a sliver of wood about the size of a toothpick. For lack of anything else better to do, he broke it off.

There was a long, ominous creak and the male ottsel slowly turned to look upward, ears falling flat against his head in sudden, wide-eyed fear. Daxter realized for the first time that the ceiling was only held up by a splintered beam.

Make that _splintering_. Apparently the structural reinforcement Tess had expected was little more than kindling.

He groped his way toward her without taking his eyes off the dangerously thin stretch of wood. "Uh… Sugar? I'm thinking of a really good idea that involves the two of us and that exit."

"But I'm not done!"

"That ceiling doesn't look like it's willing to wait. Let's get outta here now!" He grabbed Tess by the arm and dragged her toward the small hole they'd come though.

There was a final snap and the ceiling dropped two feet, bracing temporarily against more of the piled rubble. But the jolt weakened what remained of the plate overhead and chunks of stone began to fall, nearly crushing them as they hightailed for safety. They heard crunching metal and the light from the computer monitor went out behind them.

Daxter leaped the final distance and landed easily on the small ledge, but as he'd predicted earlier, Tess was having trouble. She slipped on the loose debris and fell to her knees, coughing as dust churned up around them.

He called her name followed by a heroic, "I'll save ya, baby!" Then he laid flat and lowered his tail.

Tess grabbed hold and hauled herself up. Daxter braced himself but the various contortions on his face revealed how painful having his tail yanked really was. He uttered a quick thanks to the Precursors when she finally reached the top, then hitched up his pants slightly.

"Good thing I wear a belt. Now let's hurry up and get outta here before the rest of this place collapses! I don't think I've ever wanted to get out of prison this badly before."

The girl gazed regretfully back at the closed entrance to the computer room. "I can't believe I lost my Power Cell. It cost me six hundred Precursor Orbs!"

"Six _hundred?! _Stupid inflation."

:&:

Keira met the ottsels at the bar and raised her eyebrows curiously when they came in covered with dust.

"Looks like you two had a rough time. Where were you?"

Daxter sat down on the bar. "There was a movie playing downtown so we went to see it—oh, and by the way, don't try sneaking around under the seats if you go because the ladies in this city don't scream, they kick!—followed by coffee and bagels, and then we swung by the ol' prison to find some information."

"The prison?" the mechanic asked as she leaned forward, suddenly intrigued.

"It was Tessy's idea. She said something about stuff that was bothering her, so we checked into it, then checked out before we got buried."

"Did you find anything?"

"Just a little," Tess said, somewhat depressed. "I located the main file for the Dark Warrior Program, but the roof caved in before I had a chance to read much. Apparently Baron Praxis based his experiment on a legend found in a place built by the Precursors. The file didn't specify exactly where the writings are. Only that the area he got all his Dark Eco from was there too, collected into one large well."

Keira's eyes brightened with recognition and Daxter scratched his head. "Y'know, that sounds a little like—"

"Misty Island?" a deeper voice said from the doorway. Jak strode in and everyone turned to look at him almost guiltily. "That _is_ what you were describing, right?"

He wasn't tall, and by most standards he would be considered short for an 18-year-old, but the way he stood and the self-assured aura surrounding him made Jak appear larger than he really was. Since he returned regularly to the desert city called Spargus, he still wore his loose, short-sleeved outfit and tan armor, plus the ever-present goggles on his forehead, giving him a roguish look. Even so, he would not have been so intimidating if his eyes weren't fixed in a perpetual glare.

As he stood there waiting for an answer, Tess seemed to feel his impatience and stuttered uncomfortably.

"I-It didn't have a name. All I read after that was how difficult it was to reach and that the Dark Eco was so unstable it had to go through a distilling process of some kind before it could be used."

He crossed his arms, but his expression continued to reveal nothing whatsoever about his feelings on the matter. "You mentioned a legend."

"Um… I didn't really get a chance to…"

Daxter jumped up and laid a comforting paw on her shoulder. "Don't worry, sweet-cheeks. It's a start. We'll find those writings and figure out what they have to do with my best pal, right?"

Keira leaned forward, crouching a bit so she was closer to his height. "But Daxter, Misty Island doesn't exist anymore. It's not in the bay. Haven't you noticed?"

"Ah… I was just seeing if you noticed first," he amended not very convincingly.

Without a word Jak walked past them into the back room. The ottsel glanced at the two women as they gazed after him with one of those indefinable girly emotions, then he hopped down and went after his friend. Everyone always turned so stiff around him whenever the subject of those experiments came up, as if they weren't sure how he would react.

He found Jak behind several racks of liquor, leaning against the wall and staring out the window.

"Hey, big guy! It's not like it's the end of the world. I'm sure there are other places with mysterious Precursor puke-art out there."

"Dax, why were you and Tess looking for information on the program?"

"No real reason. She was curious about where we grew up and I told her about livin' in Sandover. That naturally led to how we got here and then she wouldn't let it drop. Kept sayin' there was something fishy about how the baron knew we were comin' an' all that."

"I've wondered that myself."

Jak continued to stare out the window. The faint vibrating sounds of zoomers could be heard outside and his friend didn't say anything else for a minute. Daxter wondered if he'd said something wrong.

"We're going to need oxymasks."

"Huh?"

"Misty Island must have sunk beneath the surface of the ocean. That's why nobody else has found it yet. Ask Keira if she can get us a submarine."

**I always wondered if there might be more connections to the past than were implied in the 2nd and 3rd games. But if we drop the playable parts, which game would you consider to be the best in terms of story and wit?**


	2. Got Courage

**I'm hoping people won't be annoyed w/ me if I make Daxter less humorous than he's supposed to be. Humor is one of my worst talents, so if you laugh at something, just know that long hours of study and contemplation went into that line or description for your benefit. Or I did it by accident. Whichever.**

Chapter 2: Got Courage -- a Nice Way of Saying "You Just Did Something Really Stupid I Appreciate"

The male ottsel glanced down and made an annoyed grunt.

"Keira, why'd ya have to drag that thing along with us?" he asked, referring to the small creature with green and pale fur, sharp teeth, and a lolling tongue.

"He was at the docks when I rented the sub," the mechanic explained. "The poor guy's been miserable ever since Little Jak went back in time, so I decided to bring him along."

"But that happened over a year ago. Hasn't it gotten over that _yet?_"

"Just leave it, Dax. You'll probably never understand why animals only like certain people," Jak flicked his friend's ear lightly and Daxter gave him a surly expression. "Right now, I'd like to know exactly why Tess started investigating the Dark Warrior Program when it's obviously something nobody wants to dredge up."

Keira was sitting in the pilot's chair and the female ottsel was settled comfortably on her armrest. She glanced at him and ran a paw through her blond hair self-consciously.

"Well, since my job in the resistance was both weapons manufacturing and intelligence, I started piecing some things together. The baron always built weapons and conducted experiments with explosives, and that was about all he was good at himself. But the equipment he used for the Dark Warrior Program was not designed by him or anyone else around here. It's like nothing else ever made by our scientists and there were never any conceptual blueprints; only the final version."

"So you think he found foreign technology?"

"Not just that. Even the concept of saturating people with Eco is foreign. Any time in the past that people have tried to absorb more Eco than they could handle, it has resulted in sickness or death. It's always been that way, so what in the world gave him the idea that if he forcefully injected massive doses of the most dangerous type of Eco into people that they would survive, _much less_ become Dark Warriors?"

"You're saying he couldn't have come up with it on his own, then."

"It's not the way Praxis's mind worked. I was one of his personal machine operators in the palace for over a year, so I would know. (Thank god I left when I did!) Wherever he got the idea, it wasn't logical or even rational. Why did he choose that particular strategy, and why Dark Eco, and why you, Jak? Daxter told me himself they were expecting you the day you both arrived, but how did they know where and when and who they were looking for? Something doesn't add up. Smells like someone else knew what was going on, and it couldn't have been Kor."

"I agree," Jak added. "It's been bothering me ever since I got here. I hate to act self-centered, but I can't help asking 'why me?' I remember seeing the other four test subjects. They were criminals, all of them. I wasn't. So why was I tortured alongside them and given larger quantities of Dark Eco? Praxis had no way to know who I was or even where I was from."

Before they could mull any longer over such a depressing subject, Samos commented with some surprise, "So Misty Island _is_ down here."

Everyone shoved forward to see through the large window in front of the control panel. Daxter crouched on Jak's shoulder as he silently inspected the area ahead. It appeared bare and had many unfamiliar arches and columns springing up from the darkness below, but there was no doubt it was the same place.

"Put your masks on," Jak said. "This is probably as close as we can safely get because of those pillars."

"You youngsters go. I'll make sure nothing happens to the submarine," Samos volunteered. He looked just a little greener than usual, though it was unlikely he'd ever admit to seasickness.

Wet suits being impractical for the ottsels and foreign to the others, all they did was pull on flippers, goggles, and masks over their mouths and noses. Jak had to take off his body armor, though. It was either that or sink.

The oxymasks were designed to strain breathable air from the water and were fairly comfortable. They were also installed with small radios and mikes so that everyone could communicate easily. Tess had replicated ottsel-sized equipment with some of her engineer buddies in the Freedom League luckily.

Jak screwed open a hatch built into the floor near the back. As he lifted it up, they were faced with ominous black seawater. Daxter began edging away but caught a glimpse of the crocadog who appeared to be laughing at him. He straightened his back and strode forward, though not quite as fearlessly as he meant to.

The man knelt beside the excited animal and scratched it behind the ears. "You'd better stay here. Keep an eye on Samos for me, will you?"

The crocadog looked back at the sage and seemed to roll its eyes, but obediently sat back on its haunches and watched with envy as everyone slipped into the water.

As they swam away from the submarine, the former island became more visible in the half-light of the ocean depths. It was nothing like the two adventurers remembered. All the giant bones and wooden walkways had vanished, and many pillars of stone seemed to have grown larger rather than receding beneath the battery of ocean waves. Or perhaps more had been added.

"No smoky torches, no Lurkers, no humongous ribcages of unknown monsters…and yet it's darker and creepier than ever," the ottsel said nervously as they swam through gloomy shadows of the columns.

"Feeling a bit nostalgic, Dax?"

"Not even close. I really can't feel much affection for the place that stole my original body. Would you?"

They made their way toward an arena and the pool of Dark Eco on a higher platform nearby. Daxter hung back, choosing instead to busy himself by inspecting one of the columns farther inland. Jak didn't comment on it but he knew his friend was terrified of the stuff. Other types of Dark Eco they'd encountered hadn't bothered him but the sight of this pool made him edgy, and understandably so.

On either side of the platform were huge egg-shaped gemstones that had once given off dim, green light, but now they were cracked and dead like everything else in that place.

The group drew close to the pit and saw a collection of what appeared to be liquid shifting ominously between black and deep violet, occasionally letting off a little spiraling burst of pink light.

"So _that's_ what pure Dark Eco looks like," Tess said with surprise. "It may be a bit freaky but there's something about it that's pretty too."

"Why hasn't it drifted away and dispersed into the sea? It's a liquid, right?" Keira wondered.

"I guess you could call it a liquid, but Eco is different. It doesn't always obey the natural laws of physics," Jak answered. "We should start looking for—"

A sudden mechanical voice came over their communicators, interrupting him. **"Identify and relay password immediately."**

"Jak, I swear I didn't touch _anything!_" Daxter yelped.

Before anyone could speak, the voice spoke again. **"****Identification invalid. Password invalid. Intruders, depart directly or be annihilated.****"**

Keira kicked one flippered foot out and started back toward the sub. "We'd better go, Jak. That thing didn't sound like it was joking with—what's _that?!_"

Everyone turned and saw what had attracted her attention: a giant gray snake slithered straight toward them through the water, eyes glowing golden! Daxter yelped and paddled as quickly as he could, but the others were well ahead of him because he'd ventured too far. It gained on him rapidly and one mechanical arm stretched out from the bottom of the metal snake.

Daxter let out a panicked yell and the others spun around. "Yaaaahhh! It's got me! Get it off! Kill it! Do _something_, Jak!"

Its clamp had snagged him and the snake drifted back toward the island with its prisoner. Daxter strained against it, but his muscles were no match for Tess', much less a machine's. The others didn't dare follow or else they might be caught too. Jak clenched his teeth and turned away from his best friend. There was no way he could fight it without a weapon!

"Samos, charge up my Peace Maker!" the warrior ordered. "Hand it to me as soon as I reach the sub. I really hope it works down here. Daxter, hold on!"

"Not much…choice…pal!" he said between gasps.

The ottsel could feel the claw closing ever more tightly around his middle. As he choked to breathe and thrashed in its grip, his vision darkened.

Then suddenly the robot jerked!

Daxter opened his eyes and saw something clamped onto the metal arm. He noticed green fur and sharp teeth as well as a couple severed wires that stopped the vice from crushing him!

Another arm abruptly extended from the smooth metal and captured the brave crocadog pup before it had a chance to get out of the way. The little animal's mouth opened, expelling bubbles as it yelped mutely in pain, but the claw squeezed mercilessly while it squirmed.

A beam of light streaked past him, leaving an afterburn in his vision so that Daxter was practically blind, but the arm holding him snapped off in the blast and he sank toward the island below. He couldn't move at all and struck the ground hard.

Moments later, hands forced the metal clamp open and someone held him against—well, despite the encroaching dark, he knew it definitely wasn't Jak. He couldn't help faintly wishing he wasn't losing consciousness so that he could enjoy it more…

The next thing he knew, he was lying on a towel being rubbed dry by a devoted Tess as she crooned pet-names to him. He sat up queasily with a moan and looked around. Keira and Jak were kneeling in the corner and Samos was messing with the console.

"Sheez… I feel like a piñata the day after the party… Hey, where's that runt?"

Keira looked over at him soberly and shifted to one side, revealing a small figure swaddled in towels that were soaked with blood. The tip of a black nose poked out of the bundle. Daxter struggled to his feet and his girlfriend supported him over to the corner.

"How bad is he hurt?" The orange ottsel's ears drooped with worry.

"Daddy says we don't have enough supplies onboard to help him, and his own Green Eco powers won't work unless the little guy stabilizes. We're trying to get back to land, but I don't know if any doctors will treat a crocadog."

"Well they're gonna today or else they'll have my very—" he glanced down momentarily, "—semi-large fist to deal with! And Jak's too!"

:&:

The female mechanic stood behind the bar and expressed her concerns. "The Peace Maker was the only weapon we had that would fire underwater, but it was extremely weak. We were at a serious disadvantage against that thing and I'm not so sure it will work a second time."

Jak set down his Morph Gun and glanced up at the others. "Whatever's down there, Praxis set that thing up to keep the area private. I doubt we can slip past the sentry, and if the Peace Maker is all we have then it'll be impossible to defeat. That one shot barely affected it and I'm surprised it didn't come after us. We need something more effective."

Tess spoke up, "That would be my department, though it'll take some brainstorming. Hydrodynamics, pressure, missile type… That and more all have to be taken into account. I can't have my furry little baby in danger like that again. I nearly lost him today!"

The door to the back room of the Naughty Ottsel opened and Ashelin came out, wiping her bloody hands on a rag.

"Your pet's lucky. Another few seconds in that vice and more than a couple internal organs would have been damaged. We patched him up as best we could, but he'll be a few days recovering. I'll get some Green Eco in here as quickly as I can."

"Thanks. He saved Daxter's life," Keira added.

"If you ask me, it was a waste of my medical skills on an animal stupid enough to sacrifice itself for that rat," came a husky voice that sounded like its owner had smoked all his life. Torn scowled as he sat down at the bar and grabbed the beer Keira had set out for Daxter.

"That's a matter of _perspective_. Observe!" The ottsel turned his back on the man and then bent over so that he was looking at him upside-down through his legs. "Y'know, from this angle you actually look happy."

Torn's expression deepened.

"Oh, now _there's_ a smile!"

"Just looking at you makes me want to kill something," the man growled. He started leaning forward as if getting ready to grab Daxter by his scrawny neck and throttle him.

"Torn, we need your advice," Jak interrupted the escalating mood. "We need a weapon that can defeat a robot underwater. Any suggestions?"

He turned his attention away from the maddening rodent and looked thoughtful. "A robot? Regular rounds won't have enough velocity to strike a hard enough blow or pierce its armor. Torpedoes probably wouldn't work either since machines in the ocean are automatically equipped to deflect them. It's usually their primary purpose. An EMP magnet might work if you could find a way to fire it, which is unlikely. I doubt throwing it would do much good either."

"How the heck is a wimpy magnet going to help us?" Daxter demanded.

Tess rubbed his head and he gave her a besotted expression. "It's pretty new, but luckily I've worked on one before. It's basically a capsule with an EMP inside. When the magnet strikes a machine, it sends out the pulse and shuts down everything remotely mechanical within a twelve-foot radius."

"You think you can rig my Morph Gun to fire those?"

She winked at him. "I think I can figure something out. Ashelin, care to help me?"

"Sure." She held out her hand and Tess crawled from the bar-top onto the governor's shoulder. "Torn, you make sure that crocadog pulls through. I'm still worried about him."

The two girls left and Torn looked ready to tear the horns off a yakow. "I'm no pet-sitter. If it dies on me, I'm tossing it before it stinks up my place."

"So in other words you're taking it with you to your home, right? _Awww!_ Ya big softie!"

The commander of the Freedom League bent down so he was eye-level with the ottsel. "_Now_ I'm not. It's staying right here, and if it dies I'm dumping its decomposing ass in _your_ bed!" He punctuated the last part by poking Daxter's nose.

Torn stormed into the back again and Daxter rubbed his offended nose. "He's more cheerful than usual." He snapped his fingers. "I'll bet he likes crocadogs! Jak, you think we should get him one?"

**I love crocadogs! Letting him get mauled was painful for me. Anyway, a mechanical snake was the coolest idea I could come up w/ for an underwater guardian. Hmm... You know, I just realized I have a few little fights here and there in my story, but no main antagonist.**

**But if there WAS one, who would be the perfect bad guy? (can be of any fandom)  
My answer: An Errol clone. It's so cliché ****nobody would ever expect it! Or Voldemort.  
**


	3. Serpentine Attack

**The time change in Autumn is nice when you first get to sleep in, but then you get used to it.  
**

Chapter 3: Serpentine Attack -- I'd Prefer to Use a Nuke but It Wasn't Exactly an Option

Jak dropped through the bottom of the submarine and for a few seconds saw nothing but bubbles. His eyes adjusted to the dim light and then Misty Island came into focus. He started charging the EMP launcher immediately and his eyes fell upon the barrel he'd received only that morning with no chance to practice.

After forty-eight straight hours of work, Tess had finished the project and named her addition to his gun the Neptune barrel. Despite being black, it bore a slight resemblance to a conch shell with its smooth sides and a ridge of growing spikes up the middle. She'd also warned him that the charging time was two minutes minimum. If they had given her more time she felt she could have improved on it.

But the biggest concern was that he only had three EMP magnets, and it had taken plenty of dealing in the Black Market to get them.

There was no movement from the undersea island. He narrowed his eyes and made his way forward. Nothing yet, and he was nearly to the Dark Eco pool. The sound of his breathing echoed loudly in his ears, making the whole scene that much more disturbing.

"Hey, Jak! See anything?" Daxter asked.

"Why are you asking me? You're the ones with the scanners. Picking up anything at all?"

"Nothing too solid besides you and a few fish pedaling around out there. Maybe it's hiding on the other side of the island."

"I wouldn't count too much on that." Jak swam down past the arena and looked around in the gorges. Everything was dark and murky with little light and no familiar landmarks.

"Jak, beneath you!" Samos shouted into the radio.

"What?"

He looked down at the plateau he was swimming over, but all he could see was a crack far too small to accommodate the monstrous size of that robot.

Before he had fully completed that thought, the ground split wide and burst as the huge metal snake crashed through!

Jak aimed for the creature slithering out of the broken earth straight at him and pulled the trigger. The unexpected recoil from the Neptune threw him off and the EMP magnet shot past the head, instead impacting it along its length.

It swung sharply as the motor skills in its tail froze, accidentally slamming its head into the stone column beside him. Rocks rained down on the swimmer, thrusting him into the gorge. As he struck the ocean floor it drove the air from his lungs in a flurry of bubbles, followed by heavy debris pressing down on top of him.

Jak went slack, completely muddled, and he was vaguely aware of many different people shouting his name, but it felt like he was too far away to answer.

A few moments later his head cleared and he managed to look around. A pile of rocks pinned him down at the bottom of the gorge and he could see his gun just a foot away. The warrior stretched his fingers toward it and activated the Neptune setting.

There was an instant response. He felt the force of the snake surging toward him through the water before he saw it. The thing must have sensed the weapon beginning to charge.

Its movements were no longer graceful or gliding. The first shot had taken out part of its hind-section and the robot had gone jerky without the use of all its metallic muscles. It loomed over him, eyes growing larger as it swam straight toward him at murderous speed.

Jak braced himself but before it could pulverize him, the submarine slammed into it! They crashed into the island, their impact shifting enough of the stones that he was able to get free and grab the gun. He looked over and saw the sub caught between the snake's body and the side of a stone column.

"Hurry it up, buddy!" Daxter's voice came over. "We bought you a little time, but this guy doesn't like to play nice!"

Inside the ship everyone had been thrown about and flashing red lights warned that there was definitely something wrong. Samos was shouting about his daughter's impulsive tendencies and how Jak could take care of himself while Keira tried to get the submarine's main power back online. Daxter made a loud comment about how nice it would be if the lights didn't flash so a person could see for more than two seconds at a time.

Tess was mashed against the window and had a perfect view of the mechanical monster. "It's crushing us up against the rocks! What's Jak _doing?!_"

The young man knew the Neptune hadn't finished charging, but he also knew that only a little more pressure might kill all his friends. He kicked his flippers and swam at the giant metal snake. It was trying to destroy the sub and he saw its mouth open, revealing serrated teeth more like a dog's than a reptile's. But they were perfect for tearing apart an object made of steel.

Jak swam for its head and brandished the Morph Gun. The robot didn't flinch or pause. It simply darted its head forward and snapped him up!

The people in the submarine stared in disbelief. Then suddenly the snake spasmed, releasing the underwater vehicle and then its body froze in that contorted position, sinking downward until it jammed itself in a narrow gap.

Keira spun on Tess. "He set off the EMP magnet inside that thing's mouth! Can we get him out?"

"I think so, but his problem is a little more urgent than that. Unless the magnet was a dud and the snake is faking, that shot knocked out both Jak's radio and oxymask."

In the meantime, Jak realized what was wrong on his own. The shouting from the submarine went suddenly dead and his breath became hot and heavy. It was impossible to tell if they were silent because his earpiece had shorted out or if they had all… He refused to finish the thought.

He tried to pry open the robot's mouth, but he could hardly see and he was nowhere near strong enough to widen the small gap. The more he struggled, the hotter his breath became so that soon he was gasping for more air and getting less. He breathed slower and slower, finding his body exhausted. There was nothing he could do in the darkness anyway, so he slid down and rested against the metal bottom.

A few moments after he closed his eyes, the robot's maw creaked and slowly opened as an automatic jack pried it apart. Keira reached in and grabbed him, frantically calling for the sub to get closer.

Within minutes, Daxter and Tess saw their friend stretched out on the submarine floor, unconscious but breathing deeply.

Samos shoved something at the ottsels. "Keira needs to fix this underwater contraption, I need to help Jak with my Eco-powers, and you two are in our way! Go explore the ruins and use this to take pictures of anything you find."

"Sir, yes Sir!" Daxter accepted the camera, stiffening his tail and giving a sharp salute. An instant later, he was swimming slowly toward Misty Island rubbing a sore spot on his head while his girlfriend giggled beside him.

As they passed over the robot, Tess glanced down and wondered offhandedly, "You think I can salvage anything from it?"

"I would rather not get close in case it has some kind of emergency backup power that'll come on the moment we go near it," he said nervously. "It could be playing possquirrel, only pretending to be dead."

"There is no way it could shrug off an EMP blast like that! Jak struck it right in the 'brain'."

"All the same, can we just leave it alone for now?" he begged.

She didn't say a word, but instead winked at him. He wasn't sure whether to take that as an affirmative or a coy way of saying 'You're cute, but you can't stop me from doing what I want!'

They made their way to the area near the Dark Eco. Long ago when Misty Island had still been an island, it had been so difficult for him and Jak to reach this spot, but now the ottsels floated above it like birds without having to leap over pits of tar or scramble along narrow catwalks of bone or even dodge a mysteriously endless supply of rolling barrels. He almost felt disappointed at how easy it was.

Not that he was complaining! A giant, underwater, mechanical serpent was enough to give anyone nightmares (especially if they'd nearly been crushed to death by it), but he couldn't help feeling that there should have been a simpler challenge in store for them.

They drifted closer. There were two rows of dark tiles in a wide circle around the depression in the center and Daxter squinted at them. One tile in particular attracted his attention. When his flashlight touched it, there were distorted shadows as if the surface was raised by design. It seemed almost as if—

"Tess, could you shine your light right there at a lower angle?" he pointed.

She did and shadowed etchings became clearer.

"Hey, they look like the writings in the pictures that were in the Dark Warrior file! This must be what Praxis found."

She shifted until the engravings were easier to see and then he snapped a shot. They slowly followed the circle, checking every dark tile, but only one in five had anything written and they were irregularly spaced. Still, there were about sixty to examine. When the ottsels were done, Tess giggled and did an underwater backflip.

"Wow! It's a good thing we came down here otherwise we never would have seen these. I wonder what they say. Daxie, do you think there might be some more over there on those stairs?"

She swam back over to scrutinize the steps in front of the platform that were floating in midair (or midwater in this particular case, probably held up by some type of Precursor magic) but Daxter remained behind, his attention caught by something else. Shouldering the camera so that its miniature flashlight shone on the five blocks positioned in the middle of the shallow basin, he wandered over to them.

After inspecting each one at least twice, he finally singled out the one on the end closest to the Dark Eco pool.

"This one's different," he said softly.

"What?" his girlfriend asked, coming back apparently without any success concerning the steps. "How can you tell?"

But Daxter didn't say. He almost couldn't understand why he picked it in the first place. Instead he handed the camera to her and crawled around the block, feeling all its sides critically. His fingers brushed up against a ridge near the bottom of one corner and there seemed to be some sort of catch—

Tess pulled him back just in time to avoid getting squashed as the block split in half and pushed apart. They stared at it for a moment before he went closer, observing it from all angles suspiciously. Finally he perched on half of the stone and saw the dark space there at his feet.

"It's a hole."

He bent close and stuck his head inside. It sloped sharply out of sight only a little ways down. Ordinarily he would have been wary of a random tunnel, but this one was smooth and made for someone exactly the size of an ottsel.

"See anything?"

"Not from here. I'll need my feet free. Hold onto my flippers, gorgeous. I'm gonna do some good ol'-fashioned slinking," he grinned mischievously.

"Alone? Daxter, you're so brave!"

She stroked his ears and rubbed her furry cheek against his, but accidentally hit his radio receiver which caused a loud, screeching feedback.

"What are you two doing?!" Samos yelled.

"Practicing underwater ballet!" he retorted, wincing at the pain in his ears.

Tess took the safety strap for the camera and tied it to the belt loop on his pants. "That way your hands will be free too."

He breathed deeply and headed into the hole, crawling straight down for two feet before the tunnel sloped and evened out. In less than a minute he reached a wider area, but the second he rose to his full height, Daxter came to a dead stop. He yanked on the strap and the camera came bumping into the hole, then he turned off his flashlight.

There was a glow coming from runes chiseled into the walls of the little space. He approached and they grew brighter, and when he stepped back they grew faint once more.

"Hey, this stuff is pretty cool! I give light, and I take it away!" His maniacal laugh echoed over the radio.

"You'd better be taking pictures!" Samos threw in from his blind spot in the sub.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Daxter muttered.

He hefted it into his arms, panning slowly around the room and taking shots of all the Precurian hieroglyphs. Just as he took a step, his foot caught a crack in the floor and he fell forward. Luckily the water resistance prevented him from getting hurt, but his claw still felt cracked.

"Nnnnggh!" he grunted through his teeth in lieu of a colorful range of words that would have described either waste products or actions that inanimate objects are not capable of.

"Unless you're dying you'd better get back here because we're leaving in two minutes whether you're on board or not!"

"Daddy!" Keira admonished in the background.

"Hey, I'm just giving him some incentive."

"Keep your bark on, greenie! I'm workin' here!"

Daxter quickly finished making a record of the remaining walls and then scrambled back through the tunnel. An anxious Tess met him on the other side and they swam back to their ride.

He entered the submarine first, but the purchase was not entirely stable. When his girlfriend poked her head inside, she saw his face firmly planted on the metal floor and his tail hanging somewhat limply over it.

She giggled and held up the camera, reassuring Samos. "Don't worry. I held onto it."

Then she smiled evilly and snapped a picture of the klutzy ottsel.

Nearby Keira was helping Jak sit up. He gave his best friend a tired grin. The usual tough-guy demeanor was gone, momentarily replaced by sincerity he barely showed to his closest friends. He didn't want to be seen as vulnerable by anyone, but for a brief while he was too exhausted to care much about his image.

"Hey, Dax. So you found a secret room?"

"Yeah, looked like it was built only for Precursors to get in. But how're ya feelin' now?"

"Terrible. I don't think I've ever had a headache this bad. I feel like someone stuck my head in a zoomer's anti-grav field for an hour." He leaned against the wall, eyes closing as the submarine shuddered and started for shore. "Let me know when we get there…"

**It's always nice to have little battle-scenes, but it probably would have been more fun if the snake had been more of a boss battle. Now they've got some interesting pictures, but no idea what they say. **

**Poll time! If you had placed the tiles there, what would you have them say?  
My answer: 1st tile- Here lies the last person who borrowed my clothes without asking. 2nd tile- Here lies the last person who dumped me. 3rd tile- Here lies the last person who gave me mystery meat. etc.  
**


	4. Secrets Uncovered

**The best answer: "Here lies the last person who didn't update their fic in time" from Adrienne D. I feel threatened enough to keep to my Wednesday updating schedule. Keep in touch!****  
**

Chapter 4: Secrets Uncovered -- but If People Weren't Stupid They Wouldn't've Lost Them in the First Place

"I told you already! My expertise is in Precurian theory and technology, not linguistics," Vin said again, although nobody had asked his opinion since the day before.

For some reason the sentient hologram kept repeating himself. Jak would have attributed it to a glitch in the system except that it had been a trait of the real guy before he dumped his mind into the computer. He and Daxter both had agreed to ignore him, but the task was becoming increasingly difficult.

"If there was a computer program I could download somewhere I'd really do it for you guys—I would!—but if I get anywhere near the information centers where classified data is stored—even with Erol dead and the KG disbanded—I could easily get deleted! Besides, there's no guarantee what you need will even be there."

The guy's whiny, nervous voice was really grinding their nerves and they couldn't go anywhere until the person they had invited showed up.

"Are ya done harping 'bout it yet?" Daxter asked from where he had stretched wearily across one of the control panels.

"Done? I haven't even gotten started!" The holographic head's expression became shifty. "If you were willing to try an interface game, maybe you could bypass the security and download the information I need to—"

"We've already been over this and the answer is still no! I hate getting fried every time I get caught and then havin' to do the whole thing ALL over again! Not to mention puttin' up with your yelping."

A soft tap on the door was almost too quiet to be heard, but the rodent's ears twitched and he jumped off the panel to Jak's shoulder, alerting his friend.

The man shot a glance at Vin. "Take a break. The agreement was that only me and Dax would be here."

"Oh fine!" the hologram grumped before vanishing.

"Ah, here she is! As distinctive and colorful as ever," Daxter announced as a woman entered the Power Station.

Seem turned her scarlet gaze on him, then held two fingers in front of her face in an acquiescent gesture. "I have come as requested. What knowledge do you seek from me?"

Jak pointed to the monitors with several pictures of the Precurian writing.

"Yesterday we found ruins with these markings. You're the only one we know who is fluent in their language. Can you translate them?"

She blinked once as she surveyed them. "I doubt my expertise will be much use with that one."

The picture she was pointing to appeared to be a shot of Daxter's backside while he was dragging the camera along behind him down the tunnel (probably taken by accident during the jostling). Jak smacked the ottsel in the back of his head without warning.

"Ow! Hey, Tessy _wanted_ that picture! I was just saving it for her."

Seem examined the other images, ignoring Daxter's excuses.

"I have already translated these. Five years ago Baron Praxis sent for me and showed me pictures of these very same tiles. I was foolish. He only showed me a few at a time and all out of sequence so that I did not put together the story until it was too late."

"What did they say?"

She bowed her head in shame. "It was a legend of the power Dark Eco gives to those who can wield it. My exact words I cannot repeat, for I have taken a vow never to spread the awful knowledge I granted him."

The warrior's eyes narrowed as he detected a further implication. "Wait, Seem… Are you saying the machine he used on me was in this legend?"

"It was." She closed her eyes, appearing to be conflicted within. "Had I known what I was translating at the time, I never would have consented. Why would our creators leave such dangerous instructions to produce an abomination? My desire to read the writings of our beloved masters clouded my judgment. I have regretted those actions ever since."

Daxter leaped up to the console and punched buttons until the scans from the hidden area he'd discovered appeared on the screen.

"I doubt he ever showed you these!"

Seem's heavy-lidded gaze widened and she walked quickly over. "These… It cannot be! This is the legend I have been searching for my whole life, and here it is complete…"

"What does it say?"

But Seem was busy reading and did not respond until she reached the end, at which point she suddenly stopped and looked at them. "Was there an indention in the center of this place where you found the writing?"

Jak looked at Daxter who shrugged. "I didn't know I was looking for indentions, but something did trip me up."

"What did it look like?"

"Huh? It was a crack. What do you care?" the ottsel rolled his eyes and waved a hand dismissively.

Seem tried not to appear exasperated. "Did it resemble a keyhole?"

"Wait," Jak broke in, "a keyhole that requires a key?"

"You are very perceptive." Despite her soft tone she still managed to sound dry.

"I mean are you referring to the Ruby Key?"

"It is likely, but no one knows where that sacred artifact is."

"Except for us!" Daxter planted his thumb on his chest and threw his head back proudly.

"You have it?" This time she showed genuine amazement.

"First tell us what these are about."

She raised her fingers in front of her face and closed her eyes again. "The legend speaks of the ultimate source of Eco and the Great Heart which exists but has not yet been born. The keyhole attests to that, for when the Great Heart has been completed, there will no longer be a need for the Ruby Key and all trace of it and the keyhole will vanish. This must be done by the Master of both Light and Dark Eco. My vow forbids me to say more."

She began to walk away.

"No way!" Daxter protested as the monk reached the exit. "Hey, get your candy-coated butt back here and tell us what else it says!"

She paused. "I can say nothing more. If you refuse to abandon this dangerous search, you must seek answers elsewhere."

The door slid closed behind her and Jak turned back to the screens. A minute later Samos, Keira and Tess entered, followed by Vin's reappearance.

"I don't know why she insisted on only seeing you two," the mechanic commented.

"She's not really a people-person."

"Yes, yes, but what did she have to say?" Samos asked, waving his staff irritably.

Daxter stretched his arms out and wiggled his fingers eerily. "Something mystifying about Light and Dark Eco."

"Tess was right. Baron Praxis did get the idea for the Dark Warrior program from somewhere else." Jak hardly appeared happy about the information, though. "The foreign technology we've been looking for was created by the Precursors. These writings are directions for building the Dark Eco machine."

The sage appeared thoughtful. "That means the Precursors themselves had some use for it. But what exactly?"

"We may never know. But she also implied the Ruby Key has some special connection to the cave Daxter found down there. We gave it to Onin to safeguard."

"You mean we have to go see that old bat again? And the seer?"

:&:

Jak and Daxter had barely ducked into the booth with Samos before being assaulted by the monkaw. Several red feathers fluttered down as he flapped his wings harder than usual.

"It's about time you idiots showed up!" Pecker squawked, sticking his beak close to the young man's face. "Onin has been edgy all day and it's not amusing when my perch keeps moving during my afternoon break. That time is sacred!"

"Does she know about Misty Island?"

"Of course she does! She may be blind but she's not a nincompoop like the rest of _you!_" He settled onto Onin's wide headpiece and ruffled his feathers with a final glare in their direction.

The wrinkled old woman raised one hand and ghostly sparkles of blue and white formed in the air around it. Her empty eyes stared straight ahead as a faint outline of Misty Island floated in the air before her.

"The island was sunk long ago by Mar to preserve it for the time when it would be needed. Its specific purpose was to be the birthplace of the Heart of Mar."

Onin's island changed into the shape of a heart.

"In other words the Heart of Mar hasn't even been created yet," Samos said rubbing his long beard.

"Correct. Onin says the Heart cannot be created until the Master of Light and Dark Eco uses his powers. Even a millennium ago the Precursors knew it would be needed in a time before it was created. They left directions and tools to make one in the future and have it transported to the past. You see, yes? Or are you _still_ too thick to understand?"

"So because the Heart of Mar exists, it means someone will make it in the near future."

"Not just someone. _Aaawrk!_ Onin says _you_ are the one," he pointed at Jak.

Daxter sat on his friend's shoulder and yawned. "Was that was supposed to be unexpected?"

"Just give us the key and we'll be out of your feathers, all right?" He gave a slight exasperated headshake but stopped and cast a scouring look at Onin's interpreter. "Did you by any chance hide the key in the sewers?"

"And spend weeks cleaning sewer-filth off my wings? No. It's out back. Of course, there _is_ an obstacle course you have to navigate first. A few gun turrets and some dangerous guard animals, and maybe a maze or two. No problem for so-called 'heroes'. Too bad you can't fly."

Pecker didn't notice their eyes narrowing threateningly, hence he didn't react until Jak had seized him by his multicolored tail.

"Why don't _you_ go get it for once?" the ottsel asked. "We'll wait here till you come back with it."

"What? Me?! No, you two have to— Onin!"

The wisewoman waved her hands dismissively and then folded them in her lap. Pecker looked betrayed.

"Fine! I might be able to fly over to the key and bring it back."

He uttered a few choice phrases as he prepared to leave and then there was blessed quiet. Samos made some excuse about finding a new submarine before he departed as well. With nothing to do and no way to create smalltalk with the old woman, Jak leaned up against the wall to wait.

However, Daxter grew bored within two minutes and started poking about in the corners of Onin's small home. He climbed along the shelves on the walls, hopping from one to the next and upsetting several items without care.

As he was about to slip back down, the corner of a picture beneath an ornate pot attracted his attention. He tugged it out and took one look at it, then gave a double-take.

"Uh…buddy? You might be interested in something I found over here."

Jak glanced over and sighed tolerantly. "What now?"

"Check this out and tell me what you think."

The warrior took the picture and his eyes widened. "Wha—? This is—!"

He was staring at a photo of himself in a prison cell, unconscious with manacles keeping his hands immobile in front of his body. The sight of it brought back a flood of unwanted memories all at once. He noticed a splash of color obscuring the very top and instantly recognized it.

"Onin! What is this picture?"

She raised her head and tilted it to one side questioningly.

"This is me in prison before I escaped. Pecker's tail is in the frame, and that means there's a high likelihood that _you_ were there too or at least that you knew about me." He clenched his fists, nearly crushing the photo.

She grew thoughtful. But at just that moment, Pecker returned with the Ruby Key. Daxter leaped from the shelf with a battle cry and landed squarely on the monkaw's back, tackling him to the ground!

"Listen up, road kill!" he growled. "What's with the picture of Jak in jail? Don't try to deny it. That's your tail hanging over the top, which means you were the one holding the camera. You _knew_ about him and didn't try to rescue him or anything! You even hid the fact you knew he was there!"

The bird looked guiltily from Daxter to Jak's livid face, then to Onin. She gave a slight nod.

"All right, all right! Just get off my back! Birds have fragile, hollow bones, you know." Pecker was allowed to stand and cast them a glare as he dusted off his wings. "I was sworn to silence."

"With a beak your size I can see you swearing but not silent!" the ottsel threw in. "Spit it out, you feathered ape!"

"It was revealed to Onin long ago that the heir of Mar would be lost and it would be her job to find him, and that if she did not help him embrace his destiny—_aaawrk!_—the Heart of Mar would never come to be."

"How the heck did she know what his destiny was supposed to be?"

"Why are you asking me? _She's_ the seer! All I know is that when the boy was caught by Vegar five years ago during the uprising against the ruling House of Mar, Onin knew he was the lost heir and kept a close eye on him. Figuratively speaking, of course. I did all her spying."

"Well, whoop-dee-doo for you! We know that already. Get to the point!"

"Stop interrupting me! Onin knew the baron was planning to use Dark Eco on him, but if he did, the boy would die because he was too young. She knew all about you both, so she told Praxis when you would be returning to our present. He saw the use in having your older body for his experiments, so once you were in his hands he let the child go, as promised. We dropped by once or twice to make sure you were still alive and that's when I took the picture."

"So you caused me to be tortured for two years in order to _protect_ me?" There wasn't a trace of gratitude in his tone.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Would you rather have died when you were five?" Pecker asked with mock-concern. "It isn't _all_ about you, blondie! The Heart of Mar still needed to be made and we all depended on that."

"What's so special about it?"

"Are you completely brainless?"

Pecker hovered at eye-level and used one closed claw to knock against Jak's forehead. He rubbed the spot and glared at the bird.

"How do you think you and the rodent got here? The Heart of Mar is the only thing that can open a Rift to allow passage through time. It also provided limitless power to Mar's machines when he destroyed the Metal Heads' nest, which later became the foundation for Haven City."

Jak folded his arms and gazed at the blind woman. "Am I…the first Mar?"

"Oh! So being Mar's heir and the creator of the Heart isn't good enough for you? You want to be your own ancestor too? For your information every firstborn son of the House of Mar is named 'Mar', so it's no coincidence. Now get those thoughts out of your disgusting mind and do your job! _Pfft!_ 'Am I the first Mar?'!" he imitated in a high voice.

Onin's hands fluttered through the air and the monkaw sputtered several syllables of nonsense as he tried to respond. The old woman's blank eyes narrowed and she jabbed a finger straight at his feathered chest.

"I just know you're doing this to me to get back for all those mistakes I made when you first conscripted me," he muttered. A bit louder he said, "I will be coming along to observe everything and let Onin know what happens."

"Oh great!" Daxter moaned. "A talking animal is joining us!"

"What makes you so special that you don't include yourself in that category?" the bird shot back.

"_I_ have a Precursor body and the mind of a regular person. 'Animal' is nowhere in that description, believe me," he said proudly.

**I actually do consider him an animal, but since Daxter is so egotistical, I doubt he would stoop so low as to admit it.**

**When I was watching some cutscenes for the Daxter game (couldn't play it due to technical difficulties), I noticed Vegar mention Onin informing Erol that Jak was special. Ever since the introduction when Pecker said it was nice to see him again, I always suspected they had something to do with him before. I just couldn't pin it down. Oh, and as a reminder, I always reply to reviews. Talk to me and I'll talk to you. Maybe we'll end up joking about something retarded. I have no idea! I just like it when people respond.**

**Now then! Which pairing do y'all think would be the most interesting (not necessarily predictable or plausible!):  
-*- JakXSeem -*- JakXAshelin -*- JakXTess -*-  
And if you feel like it, try to include a tidbit on what their first date would be like.**


	5. Truth

**Aww! Only two answers on the last poll? (I can definitely see Seem as a somber, foreboding date) That one was actually interesting! I would have picked Jak & Tess b/c a goodnight kiss would be both disturbing and hilarious.**

**Also thank you to Jakndaxluver for the correction. Yes, it was Erol and not Vegar who mentioned Onin, but I'm glad I made that mistake so that you could review and correct me! I've always felt the more reviews I get, the more prestige my story has.  
**

Chapter 5: Truth -- Another Word for Annoying Information That Could Have Been Revealed a LOT Earlier

The dim light filtering through the water barely allowed them to see the lonely undersea island. It was closer to evening than afternoon, but Jak and the others were too curious about the Ruby Key's connection to everything to save it for the following day.

Daxter sat in the back with the crocadog. Green Eco had healed the wounds and it was now almost completely recovered.

Unfortunately they had made the mistake of going by the bar to see it before returning to the docks, and Torn had shoved the animal at them with a snarl as he said something along the lines of, "If that thing so much as _looks_ at me one more time, I swear I'll shoot it! I hate puppy-eyes."

They hadn't been given much of a choice. The crocadog appeared calm around either Daxter or Jak, but every time its eyes flicked to the small round portals, it shuddered and snuggled deeper into its bedding with a whimper.

Samos looked at the Dark Eco in its well far below. "This is the third time I've seen that in the past week and I still can't keep from losing my appetite," he commented.

"That's not the only thing you're losin'!" Daxter called helpfully.

The old sage glowered at the ottsel who was laughing inside. Any remarks on his age or intelligence never failed to provoke the guy. Keira flipped on the submarine's floodlights.

"Now we should be able to see what we're doing no matter how dark it gets. Are we ready?" she asked, slipping her oxymask on.

Jak observed the view critically. Although the robotic snake was broken, he couldn't help feeling anxious. Maybe he was just obsessing since they had all been caught off-guard the first time. Still, he checked to make sure the newly-designed Triton fitting for his Morph Gun was in working order.

In order to get the bullets to shoot straight underwater, they resembled tiny spears which gave them their interesting name.

"Let's get down there and clear this whole thing up once and for all."

As they grabbed their diving equipment, Tess opened a back panel and pulled out something that looked like a mini-bazooka. She brought it over to Daxter and he looked up in surprise.

"Meet the Ottsel Cannon! It only has one shot, but I wanted you to have the prototype. I'll make it better when I have more time," she gave an apologetic smile that made her look cuter than ever.

"Sweet! How does it work?" he asked as he hefted it up and nearly overbalanced.

Tess helped steady her boyfriend, and then she showed him a pair of straps attached to the barrel.

"Just slip into this harness so you carry it on your back. If you ever need to use it, slide it along the strap and set it on your shoulder. The trigger is there. One blast has enough firepower to take down about three yakows at once, so definitely watch where you're aiming."

"You give a weapon to an amateur? I would not trust that rat with a pointy stick," Pecker commented from his perch on Samos's log.

"Is that a suggestion?" Daxter asked bitingly. "'Cuz I might start a collection of sharp sticks just for your inconvenience."

"Forget the bird, Dax. We need you to keep an eye on that key. Don't let her lose it," Jak said before vanishing through the bottom of the submarine.

The ottsel made sure the chain with the Ruby Key was secure around Tess' neck and she batted her eyes at him coyly before following their friends. They swam straight for the Dark Eco and its wide arena.

Jak noticed that although the floodlights did help, they also created deeper shadows in some places. He didn't like going in with blind spots that close, and especially when the water-resistance hampered his movement. It just made him nervous.

He started as a shadow shifted. "Hold it! Nobody move. Samos, move the sub around this area clockwise."

The floodlight swung left and the shadows changed. Almost immediately several figures with gray skin and sharp teeth flashed into view. Just behind the cutting dorsal fin each creature's flesh became rubbery, tentacles stretching and coiling as they swam about.

"What _are_ they?" Keira gasped.

"Sharquids! Get back to the sub now!" Jak yelled as he slipped the Morph Gun out of its holster.

He could see the light had agitated the creatures and, being naturally aggressive, they started searching for something to harass.

The ottsels were slower than their companions, mainly because they were weighed down by key and cannon. Then from above, a sharquid fanned its tentacles as it readied to attack! It sped toward them and Daxter slid his weapon into firing position. Tess' eyes widened in surprise.

Everything seemed to go in slow motion: the sharquid's mouth opening wide, the trigger releasing, and Tess' voice over their link as she grabbed at him and screamed, "You're not braced!"

Daxter realized at that very moment that "Ottsel Cannon" was a very apt name for the weapon.

He went shooting backward, spinning end over end before finally impacting a hard surface and lying there limply for a minute. When he opened his eyes again and forced his head up, Daxter realized he was sitting between the vat of dark Eco and the tentacles of an extremely irritated sharquid.

Just as it was about to take a bite out of him, tiny lances about the same size as bullets came raining down on the creature. It darted away and Jak called, "Move it, Dax!"

The orange rodent scrambled for the small tunnel with Precurian writings, but before he could reach it Daxter discovered the snapped chain of the Ruby Key in his paw…minus the precious artifact. His eyes slowly drifted back up to the platform where the Dark Eco was.

"No friggin' way…"

The Triton rounds had attracted plenty of attention and Jak continued firing to keep the sharquids at bay, but there were a dozen by now and one seized him from behind. Within moments he could hardly move. The suckers on its tentacles seemed to have minuscule daggers embedded in them, causing the warrior to grit his teeth and grunt with pain. The flexible neck twisted around and the sharquid snapped its deadly jaws in anticipation.

The rest had converged and were reaching out with their arms when one of them jerked and fell back. Another flinched but continued to go for Jak. Suddenly blood blossomed from an unnatural hole in its head and the sea creature holding him loosened its hold.

He looked around wildly and saw a dozen figures swimming with underwater scooters. A familiar voice said his name over the radio.

"Hey, Jak! Sorry to drop in on you like this," Ashelin called with no trace of apology in her voice. "I know you had it under control."

Torn scoffed beside her and sent another barrage at a group of sharquids who were trying to come at Jak again. The other members of the Freedom League worked on protecting the sub as well as the tiny figure of Daxter stranded in the arena below.

"What are you doing here?" the Dark Warrior asked.

"This afternoon I suddenly remembered once when my father mentioned his special undersea robot. He said it was to keep a specific place free from curious divers and unfriendly fish. Since you destroyed the robot, the fish would have no reason to be wary anymore. I tried contacting you guys, but I had no idea which submarine you'd taken, so instead I made as many Triton attachments and ammo as possible and gathered some good swimmers."

Although he couldn't see her mouth past the black oxymask, the smirking grin was evident in her eyes.

Meanwhile down below, Daxter glanced into the pit of roiling Dark Eco and cringed. The key was indeed there, floating serenely on top of the thick liquid. Its ruby seemed to be reacting to the Eco, though.

As he stared at it, the gem began to pulse and gleam with light!

The ottsel scrambled back as fast as he could, swimming vigorously but only getting a few feet away before the Ruby Key rose above the Dark Eco and poised there almost hauntingly. He ducked below a stair and peeked out at it. A light began to emanate from overhead although the sun had already set. Even the floodlights of the submarine and the smaller ones from the Freedom League's scooters began to pale as something descended into the ocean.

A round ship slowly fell through the water, its bottom emitting blinding light. Daxter could only keep still, shielding his eyes until it was dim enough to see again.

That's when he realized he was dry. He peered between his fingers curiously and saw that the ship had landed against the wall of the arena and that there was a sphere of air surrounding the entire area like a bubble. Curiously, he removed his oxymask and took an experimental breath as though afraid the water would come rushing back. It didn't.

He stared at the craft and jumped as a door unexpectedly split open along the lower side. An imposing silhouette appeared there. As it stepped down the ramp, the figure was revealed to be a short, chubby ottsel.

"You?!" Daxter cried. "What are you doing here?"

The Precursor glanced around in confusion. "You called and I came as quickly as I could. Shouldn't have taken more than a minute. Didn't you know any artifact we left only has to interact with Light or Dark Eco to contact us?"

"You could have given us that tip when you left," he told the other crossly.

Jak swam up and then stepped inside the now-dry dome, closely followed by Ashelin, Torn and the submarine. The vehicle could only wedge about half its length inside before coming to a grinding halt from lack of the correct element. Samos, Keira, and Pecker all came out through the bottom hatch and joined them. Everyone began talking at once, asking questions and making awed comments so that the little creature couldn't make himself heard.

Finally Tess grabbed Jak's Morph gun and fired off all the remaining rounds. Everyone ducked instinctively but they stopped their clamoring, which was the desired effect.

Jak yanked the weapon out of her little hands and spoke up first, "Just tell me what I have to do so that we can get this whole Heart business over with."

"You mean...?" he stared at them all with incredulity. "You appear to know the mission without understanding the premises for it. These must be addressed first, so if you would all please come with me I will do my best to enlighten everyone in more comfortable arrangements."

The Precursor led them into his ship and they were surprised to find it round and completely bare. Gray, metal panels lined the walls and there didn't seem to be anything in it.

"Wow. These sure are comfortable arrangements, all right," Daxter said with obvious sarcasm. "You guys aren't that big on decorating, are ya?"

"We seldom need it."

He rapped his staff on the floor and suddenly they were standing in a valley surrounded by mountains. Even the grass beneath their feet felt and smelled real. The only thing that marred the illusion was the open doorway to the arena, like a wound in the air.

"What is this?" Jak wondered, impressed by the technology.

"It is simply a simulation of our first new planet to cultivate since we awoke from our slumber. I've officially named it Hearth, but my…" here he cringed and seemed to grope for an appropriate word, "…_companions_ can't quite get it right. They keep calling it Earth."

"Earth? That's totally retarded! Why not just call it Mildew while they're at it?" Daxter shook his head, perplexed at the unimaginative talents some people seemed to possess.

"As interesting as this is," Ashelin interrupted, "what can you tell us about that place out there? Why can't we just use the key and get it over with right now?"

"Humor me, will you? Who is the Master of Light and Dark Eco?"

"Jak," the group said together.

The little creature looked at Jak thoughtfully, cocking his head one way and then the other. At last he asked, "When was the first time you encountered Light Eco?"

"Just before I came through the Rift. I used it to defeat a couple crazies."

"_Awwrk!_" Pecker interrupted somewhat sheepishly. "Technically that is not quite correct. You see…when Damos was betrayed and dethroned, Vegar kidnapped you because of the legendary Eco-channeling talents on your mother's side. He had seen the translations of the writings here and thought he could force Light Eco into you and turn you into his own weapon. He managed to find a small source of Light Eco, but no matter how much he infused, you could never use it."

"Are you saying I was immune?"

"More like completely incompetent," the bird shrugged in a very unconcerned manner. Torn chuckled dryly, very amused at the description.

"But I was just a kid! I grew into it later."

"Impossible. Your mother showed her skills before she started walking. You know Light Eco is far more powerful than any other Eco, so you should have been able to use that at least, but you could not."

"The monkaw is correct," the Precursor affirmed. "If a child shows no talent for wielding Eco, then he cannot use it unaided. Tell me, when did you first encounter _Dark_ Eco?"

Jak's face clouded over. Daxter leaped onto his shoulder plate as if to either reassure or protect his friend.

"Why? What's so important about it?" he asked suspiciously when Jak didn't answer.

"I was just curious when he began to use it."

"When I showed up to rescue him. Broke outta the locks himself, though. Kinda defeated the point of me bein' there, in a way."

"And did Jak ever try to use Dark Eco before that moment?"

"Every day!" the warrior spat venomously. "I tried to channel it like I'd always used Eco every time I had enough strength to take a crack at it."

"But it never worked…unless _Daxter_ was nearby. Am I correct?"

"_What?_"

The information seemed to be completely novel to him and everyone else in the group.

"We Precursors cannot use Eco without machines or vessels. Jak, whenever you even channeled regular Eco by itself, was Daxter there?"

"Yeah. Are you saying he's the one who's been allowing me to use Eco all this time?" He appeared suddenly thoughtful. "Which would explain why I couldn't escape from Praxis for two years. And it's also why we've instinctively stuck to each other all this time, right?"

"Exactly." The Precursor looked at Daxter. "The real Master of Light and Dark Eco is _you_."

The focus of everyone's attention stared back at them without any expression. "This is one of those things where all of you are gonna burst out laughing and say it's a joke, right? 'Cuz I think right about now is the _perfect_ time to do that."

"It's true, Daxter."

"No! No no no no no! _Jak_ is the whole Light and Dark Master-dude-thingy! Even the old lady said he was the one!"

Pecker seemed a bit peeved and tapped his feathered fingers together somewhat nervously. "That may not be entirely correct. She was apparently indicating you, but since she didn't say a name I assumed it was Jak. Technically I _was_ pointing in the right direction, though."

"You are incredibly important to this planet, Daxter, and you are very powerful. Your mere presence gave him control over not only ordinary Eco but the two greatest types as well, and he would never have learned to use those powers if not for you," the plump ottsel explained in a reasonable tone.

"Just hold it, wise guy! How do you know _I'm_ the one? It could be anybody else here!"

The Precursor paused to consider how he could convince the youngster to acknowledge the truth. "Daxter, what is your earliest memory? Before you met Jak, that is."

"Huh?" He scratched his head. "Well, uh…it's been a long time."

"What about your family?"

"I don't have— What's all this about, anyway? Are you trying to make me look like an idiot?"

Pecker snorted. "As if he has to try!"

"_Can it_, you! Or else I'll paint those feathers of yours a whole new shade of red!" he snarled at the monkaw. Daxter turned back to the Precursor and gave an angry glare. "I don't remember anything before I met Jak. There. _You happy?!_ What's your point, anyway?"

"You were always meant to be the Master of the Ecos. Whatever happened to you before you became aware may always be a mystery, but it is undeniable to us by the very fact that you are now a Precursor that your lineage is pure. Your missing years must have been preparation for your future."

"Well, isn't it convenient that I don't remember them then!" he rolled his eyes.

"You must have been exposed to a great amount of untainted Light Eco when you were young in order to give such vast power to your vessel. Naturally that caused you to take on this form after your encounter with concentrated Dark Eco, and of course your vessel received impressive control over that Eco through you as well."

Daxter crossed his arms irritably. "Look Chubby, would you not call Jak that? I keep getting this image of a boat in my head."

"My point is that the Master of Light and Dark Eco is the only one who can use the Ruby Key."

"Somehow despite this radical turn of events, I'm not all that surprised. Or I don't really care. I'm not sure which at this point anymore. I guess there's just one thing to do, then." He imitated rolling up his sleeves and marched out the exit. "Looks like it's time to get crackin'!"

The Ruby Key had fallen to the arena floor and the crocadog sniffed at it curiously. Daxter snatched it up before the animal could get any closer and possibly swallow it, which would create a very interesting but still very undesired situation.

He slipped down the tunnel and made his way to the secret chamber. The hieroglyphs there blazed at his proximity, making it almost too bright to see anything. The dangerous crack now clearly resembled that of a keyhole exactly the size of the object in his hands.

Daxter inserted it and heard a deep, ominous _click_. Then all the lights vanished. For a moment he was in complete darkness, and then a glow began beneath his feet, growing brighter and brighter.

He scrambled up the tunnel as fast as he could and leaped wildly as white liquid came out in a geyser behind him! The ottsel flew through the air and landed in someone's arms. Torn glowered and reached for the knife on his back, but Daxter took the hint for once and quickly transferred to Jak's shoulder.

Light Eco filled the large indention, swirling with traces of cerulean. The group gazed at it in astonishment. Apparently the thought had never occurred to them that there might be more than Dark Eco in the area.

"All right, it's here. Now what?" Jak wondered.

The Precursor looked at the newly-named Master of Light and Dark Eco. "Now Daxter needs to give one of the ladies here Light Eco powers within the next few minutes. There's no telling how long the Ruby Key's power will last."

"Why one of them?"

The older ottsel jerked his head slightly toward Jak and whispered something in Daxter's ear. Sudden realization dawned on his face.

"Oooohhhh! Well, you could've just said so." He rubbed his hands together with anticipation. "Okay! Which of you ladies would like to give it a go? I'm pretty sure I know how to work this whole Eco-vessel-thing. I've been doing it through Jak for years anyway, so it should be a cinch."

Both Keira and Ashelin looked at him askance, not entirely sure if he was serious or not. Then the governor of Haven City walked over to him and nodded.

**Whoa! ****I can't believe there's only one chapter left! This has got to be the shortest fic I've written in 3 years. Well, what can I say? I was inspired. But seriously! How many of y'all thought Daxter was really the Master? And if he could use them himself, what sorts of things do y'all think he would end up doing w/ Light and Dark Eco?**

**My answer: He'd dress up in a leotard and fly around Haven City fighting crime as a mysterious black ottsel who apprehends criminals _accidentally_ more often than purposefully.**


	6. Recurrence

Chapter 6: Recurrence -- Where One Goes...or Where One Comes From?

Keira's eyes snapped over to Ashelin as the woman volunteered and nearly choked. There was no doubt in her mind the baron's daughter would pull it off. The ire rising inside her made Keira feel so much stronger, as if she could do anything—_would_ do anything!—to keep that redhead from showing her up!

"Let me. I want to do it."

No one seemed particularly surprised as she pushed forward. Ashelin politely stepped back, allowing Keira to approach the pool of white, glowing liquid. Daxter crawled up onto her shoulder as she knelt beside it.

"I think I know how to do this," he attempted to reassure her. "Just touch the Eco."

She dipped her hand in and was surprised that it felt like handling velvet rather than liquid. Keira could almost feel a strange pull coming from within and knew it was the ottsel beginning to draw on the Light Eco. A sense of triumph overcame her nervousness, and that greedy thought reacted to the living energy.

Without warning the Light Eco burned her!

Keira yelped, yanking away from it. The skin all along her hands felt as though she'd splashed hot motor oil onto them. Daxter tumbled off her shoulder and hit the ground, landing flat on his back. The look on his face was close to shocked and he stared at the pool of Eco.

"It was fine! It was working!" he insisted. "It was just beginning to flow through you and suddenly it recoiled on me!"

"Are you going to try again?" Jak wondered as he supported Keira to keep her from falling back.

Daxter shook his head. "It won't let me. I know that for a fact. If I try to do it, I'm scared it will kill her. I'm not sure if it'll work at all now."

The others glanced at her curiously, but Keira turned her face away. Deep down she knew why the Eco hadn't wanted her as a host. The ottsel had tried, but it was impossible if she couldn't accept it the right way for the right reasons.

"Well, _someone_ has to do it," Torn growled. It was obvious he knew where this was going and he didn't like it one bit, but it hardly looked like they had a choice.

Ashelin raised her arm with the KG gauntlet and clenched her fingers slowly, green eyes growing hard. "Death or not, I'll give it a try."

But Keira continued to kneel by the pool's edge, staring at the shifting Eco and feeling tears build behind her eyes. For a moment she forgot Ashelin and simply thought about Jak.

Maybe she wasn't good enough for him. Ever since he'd found her the year before and she'd discovered the darkness inside, all she wanted was to be there for him. She would do anything.

Anything.

She cupped her hands and lowered them into the Light Eco. It burned again, but she ignored it, gritting her teeth to bear the pain. She looked deep into the liquid that reflected nothing but gave off a glow like moonlight. Even with death as a punishment…

Anything.

She tilted her head back and drank.

Everyone's voices abruptly became loud and then unnaturally faint. Her eyes closed tightly as Keira was overwhelmed by anguish from within, the Eco burning through every organ in her body and making every nerve tremble. She convulsed and fell to the arena floor. Little paw-like hands clutched at her and someone else pulled her upright.

She knew it was him and she wanted to speak. '_I know I'm weak, especially compared to you…but I'll do anything to be able to feel what you feel, to understand so I can comfort you. I want to share your pain and be there with you instead of apart from you. I'll do anything to help you…_'

Daxter's desperate attempts to draw the Eco safely through her changed when he felt a peculiar response. For a moment he could almost feel emotions from the Light Eco itself, and his surprise at that nearly made him forget what he was doing. Even if it couldn't be anything real, he was sure there had been hostility that was now changing to smooth calm, allowing him to connect Keira and the Light Eco.

The searing heat running through her body changed, growing milder and less painful. The pain was still there, but it was different now; not quite physical.

Keira heard the panicked voices turn to those of bewilderment. Her limbs felt weightless. She saw Jak's bright blue eyes staring intently into hers. They mirrored sudden relief and his arms supporting her squeezed gently as if to tell her without words that he was glad.

She continued to stare at him and hardly noticed his skin and hair darken. He didn't even seem to realize it either, and when she changed he was still too caught up in staring at her to realize anything was different. They were too glad to be with each other to even observe the stark contrast between her bright skin and his shadowed skin.

Together they closed their eyes and leaned forward, their lips meeting and holding.

'_Anything, anything, anything,_' her mind played over and over without any clear meaning of what it meant anymore.

All she knew was that her heart was beating faster than she could ever remember in her life, and that she could feel his beating in perfect time with it.

They were both unaware that beneath them, small intricate patterns in the arena floor were being filled by the shifting glow of both Light and Dark Eco. A small platform raised from the stone near the floating steps, in its center the empty impression of a heart.

There, the different forms of light gathered, changing and sparking as they twined together. Their color turned fiery and filled the small space like molten rubies.

Jak and Keira's kiss slowly broke and both of them faded from Light and Dark forms back to their original selves. They blinked at one another and the couple suddenly seemed to realize how close they were…and that everyone was watching.

He hurriedly helped the mechanic to her feet, trying to pretend he wasn't bothered by the fact there was an audience watching his drawn-out, very _intense_ first kiss. By the rosy tint in her cheeks, Keira was thinking the same thing. He just wished it had been more of his choice rather than a compulsion, likely brought on by the nearness of their two Ecos.

"That was really dumb," he admonished, referring to her rash action. "Do you have any idea what could have happened to you?"

"That's why I did it," she replied in a softer tone. "The Light Eco never would have accepted me unless I was willing to sacrifice myself…unless I surrendered. I didn't realize that until I proved I could."

Jak gave a half-smile. He should have expected her to figure it out.

Behind him Ashelin also smiled, but for a different, sadder reason, and then she crouched low with one hand on the ground as the arena around them began to shake. The group had a hard time keeping their balance as everything trembled. Tess was the first to notice why.

"Look! Something's happening to the Ecos!"

They saw that each pool frothed and boiled until stones drifted out of the liquid and took form in the air. Two large rings floated there above the Eco, white and violet light swirling in random patterns within. The group gazed at them in awe, wondering why the Rifts had opened.

"So, are we going to use 'em or somethin'?"

Before anyone could offer a suggestion, Keira's eyes fell on the crocadog. "Oh no!" she cried out, pointing.

The pet had curiously approached the pool on the arena floor and jumped to one of the stepping stones rising up out of the Eco. Naturally at her cry the animal turned to look at her and slipped, plummeting into the liquid! It yelped in pain from the pure energy and paddled about for a few seconds, coming dangerously close to the swirling gate.

"Grab him, Daxter!" Tess called.

Always at her command, Daxter leaped to a stone and reached out a hand, coming within a hair of snatching the critter. Then suddenly the Rift started _inhaling!_ He caught hold of the stone's edge, but could hardly cling there long with the gale-force winds tearing at him.

"Daxter! Get away from there now! Daxter! _Daxter!_" Tess screamed.

Just as he was about to lose his grip, Jak seized him by the tail and managed to brace himself. As he tucked his best friend protectively against his chest, the Dark Warrior looked back for the crocadog. Panic was written all over the little animal's face as it was suddenly swept up and out of the Eco.

As he watched, its glowing form disappeared through the Rift. The swirling colors inside vanished completely, leaving the ring that had contained it in midair. No longer held together by any energy, the stones crashed back into the Light Eco. Then the Eco itself sank down until there was nothing left in the strange indention at the center of the arena.

Daxter jumped to the ground and shook his head with some regret. "Poor little guy… I think he and me would have gotten along great after the whole savin' bit. He coulda been my sidekick on our next adventure."

Jak continued to stare at the empty spot. He'd thought for a moment the crocadog's form had changed and looked a lot like… No, it was probably just his imagination.

"Now the Heart must be sent into the future," the fat little Precursor said gravely, "for that is where it belongs."

"Why the future? I thought it had to wind up in the past," Ashelin asserted.

"Light Eco is a gate to the past and Dark Eco leads to the future. Since the past is no longer an option, it must travel through the Dark Eco's gate ahead until another Mar can claim it. That one will be able to send it to the first Mar."

"Really? Wow!" The ottsel seemed to consider something else. "Where d'ya figure the Time Map came from?"

Jak grimaced. "Honestly, Dax, I'd rather not know. Let's just get this thing sent wherever it needs to go."

He approached the mold by the steps where the Heart of Mar was. It looked exactly like the one they had sought before. Well, technically it _was_ the same one. Jak hefted it in his hand and the ruby gleamed, its core burning slightly in the shadow.

Keira came up behind him and asked tentatively, "Can I help?"

He looked down at the short girl and the corner of his mouth lifted. He pulled her hand forward and placed the Heart into it, then he nudged her toward the swirling Rift at the top of the stairs. As she ascended to cast the artifact into the future, Tess approached the Precursor.

"Do you really think it will appear generations from now?"

He gave her a shrug. "One can never tell when or where something may wind up without the Time Map to guide it. Whether or not he sees the Heart of Mar again, I suspect this Mar has much more to do with the timeline and the fate of the world before he can safely retire."

"Well, at least he has Daxter to take care of him!"

:&:

An old woman sat beside the sage watching the sea rolling in. Her voice was cracked with age, her ears drooped as though heavy weights hung from them, and she kept looking down at her wrinkled hands as she spoke.

"Ever since she was a baby, Keira has been told that her father would return. I think his ship sank in a storm, but since you were there when my daughter died of that sickness yesterday, Keira assumed you were her lost father."

"That explains it. She's been calling me 'Daddy' ever since we buried her mother. I don't think I would have the heart to resist her," Samos said.

"I know you and the orphan boy will not be staying here long, but would you consider taking my granddaughter with you? I am too old to travel to even the nearest town and I can't take care of her much longer. It's a chore merely to walk this far to the beach…and I fear my last day is coming soon."

"Well, I do have an idea of where I'm headed, so I suppose I can bring her al—"

"Oh my! Sage, do you see that? My sight has faded somewhat in these last years, but I do believe there is someone in the surf down there," she pointed leftward along the shore.

Samos caught a glimpse of green among the waves and hurried forward, the woman following at a much slower pace. A young boy no older than four or five with buck-teeth coughed and sputtered in the saltwater, rubbing it from his eyes and trying to see at the same time.

The sage pulled him out and away from the crashing waves that were bringing in the tide.

The boy didn't seem steady on his feet and kept falling forward onto his hands. He also didn't seem to be able to talk very well either, giving Samos a partially-deep growl. His clothing was green and had the strangest series of what looked like spikes sewn into the cloth on his back, which was a stark contrast to his blond hair with a tint of orange to the ends. His long, thin ears waggled up and down, giving him something of an animalistic quality.

"How on earth did you find yourself out here? Where is your family? Where are you from?" the man asked.

With a surprisingly doglike yelp, he ducked away without answering and nearly ran into the old lady. She laughed humorously at his reaction and sat down on a rock. He blinked at her curiously, obviously not perturbed by such a harmless person.

"A young boy, are you?"

He shrugged and seemed surprised to be standing upright as she held him still in front of her.

"Well, what is your name? Do you remember anything at all, little one?"

"D-D—" he stuttered uncertainly, as though trying to remember something elusive. "Dax…ter."

"What a sweet name! You must be famished. Help an old lady up the hill, won't you? When we reach the house I'll get you something to eat. What strange clothes you're wearing. Never seen a fashion quite like that before. Reminds me of a crocadog…"

Samos stared after them. He knew that name from somewhere. His memory of the past was hazy at best, and yet he could almost recall a short figure with an obnoxious attitude… No, it was probably just his imagination.

Then it struck him what this meant.

"Oh no! Not another kid to take care of!"

**Now the title takes on a completely new meaning, eh?**

**I went over many different possibilities for Keira, but it just didn't work out chronologically that she was really Samos's daughter. If that was true, she'd be 11 or 12 at most by the time **_**Jak & Daxter**_** rolled around, which (judging by her bra size) she most certainly was ****not****. **

**As for Daxter's true identity, I noticed the moment the crocadog showed up that there was something distinctly human about him, namely the fact that he had a crop of hair on his head. It also might explain why Jak, Gol and Maia didn't turn into Precursors when they got super-dosed by Dark Eco. I just had to figure out how the little crocadog would join his best buddy since he was left in the future at the end of **_**Jak II**_**.**

**Thanks for reading!**


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